Chang-rae Lee Joins the MashableReads Social Book Club

"From New York Times bestselling author Chang-rae Lee comes On Such a Full Sea, the provocative new novel that showcases Lee’s brilliant storytelling and his long-standing interests in identity, culture and love. Set against a vividly imagined future America, Lee tells the riveting story of a woman who leaves home when the man she loves disappears. Epic in scope, masterful in execution, and page-turning to its shocking end, On Such a Full Sea imagines a future that will change the way readers think about the world they live in." - Riverhead Books

Be sure to follow @mashlifestyle to discuss On Such a Full Sea, using the hashtag #MashReads throughout the month. You can also join our Facebook group to stay updated on MashableReads, and let us know what you think of the book.

Want to hang out with the author in person? Share your thoughts on the book using the hashtag #MashReads via Vine video, Instagram or Twitter prior to the chat, and we will select 10 people to visit Mashable's New York headquarters to meet Chang-rae Lee and participate in our book club on Jan. 29.

Below, we spoke with Lee about his advice for aspiring writers, his geek confessions and how he settled on the title for his novel.

Q&A with Chang-rae Lee

Mashable: How did you choose the title On Such a Full Sea?

Lee: "It came very late in the writing of the book, at a point when my editor and I had tried a lot of titles but none to our satisfaction. And then I found myself reading Shakespeare's Julius Caesar — I've been in the habit of taking a Shakespeare play in paperback on plane trips, as they're the perfect length for a couple hours flight, not for 'study' but for entertainment, really 'watching' and 'hearing' it more than trying to 'read' it — and I came across Brutus' famous speech again about seizing an opportunity, which includes those words, and they just clicked. He's speaking metaphorically, of course, and I liked the sense of being in a flood but taking advantage of it, which seemed just right for my hero, Fan."

On Such a Full Sea is really a departure for you, how was it writing a futuristic dystopian novel?

"I didn't consciously think that what I was writing was 'dystopian,' even as it began to form along those lines. I simply followed the demands of placing my characters in a very different social circumstance, building out that circumstance enough for it to feel real and convincing and then letting things happen. It's what I do writing anything, even a 'realistic' scenario, because one always has to come up with the textures and details that make that familiar circumstance somehow unfamiliar, fresh and alive."

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

"I always urge them to read as much as they can, and re-read the books and writers they love. This re-reading can sometimes help one figure out what it is about language or form that impassions you. Why you have this urge in the first place. And then I'd say that you try to write without fear. We all have fear but the key is to have faith in what you know and feel and intend and to try to hold off those demons murmuring that you 'can't' and 'shouldn't.'"

Do you have any secret geek confessions?

"Not sure if you mean geeky in a techie way. I'm not tech-savvy for sure. But I can get pretty geeky about the wine I drink. I'm not a hedge funder, so have to choose my bottles carefully and spend perhaps too much time trying to find just the right bottle at a price I want to afford, cataloging my research."

What is your biggest online pet peeve?

"I'm only on Facebook (no Twitter or anything else) and then quite sporadically, so I can't say I'm experienced enough to have peeves yet. It does seem sometimes that people go on about the most trivial things, like looking though a clothing catalog, but I guess that's part of the point of it, all of us with our hair down."

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is a leading source for news, information and resources for the Connected Generation. Mashable reports on the importance of digital innovation and how it empowers and inspires people around the world. Mashable's record 42 million unique visitors worldwide and 21 million social media followers are one of the most influential and engaged online communities. Founded in 2005, Mashable is headquartered in New York City with an office in San Francisco.